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Security, Risk and Crisis Management

Show organizers could be forgiven if the news they are seeing and reading over the last few years gives them pause.  Previously there was not much thought given to large gatherings of people and what might happen or that a celebratory or educational event could take a turn for the tragic.   Many organizers are now asking themselves, “Have I done enough?”  Looming over every show or event organizer are many concerns:

  • Is my event secure – are we prepared in the event of a security concern?
  • What can we do to mitigate risk?
  • What are the best practices for security, risk and crises management?

Many of you may already sleep soundly knowing you have assembled a plan in conjunction with vendors and key stakeholders and have communicated this plan clearly and well in advance.  Some may not know where to start with what at first, might be a daunting task of preparing for all possible risks or contingencies. The CEM program can help.  In November 2018 CAEM will be offering the CEM course Security, Risk and Crises Management.  This is a comprehensive course which identifies, analyzes, evaluates and addresses loss exposures and monitors risk control and financial resources for mitigating the undesirable effects of loss. This involves evaluating the security needs for an event and if a crisis should occur, having a crisis management team in place to manage it.

This is an essential program that can be taken as a stand-alone course or as part of the comprehensive CEM globally recognized designation.  One important part of risk management is to evaluate your event and have the right team in place if something should occur – the CEM course is a great place to start!

To access the line-up of courses for 2018, including the Security, Risk & Crisis Management Course, please click here: 2018 CEM Courses.

It’s beginning to look a lot like … The CAEM Holiday Lunch!


The CAEM Holiday Lunch is only a few short weeks away!  For most of us, this is the first real sign that the Holiday Season has officially arrived.

What makes the Holiday Lunch such a special event?  THE PEOPLE!  Hundreds of industry partners, colleagues and friends, all coming together to celebrate the festive season the best way we know how:  with style, spirit and lots of good cheer!

If you haven’t already registered, here are a few fantastic reasons why you should  plan to attend this hugely popular CAEM Signature Event:

  • Connect & Mingle with Colleagues and Industry Friends (Oh, what FUN!)
  • Experience the Hospitality of the Beanfield Centre (make room for the warm & fuzzies…)
  • Enjoy a Delicious meal by Cerice Fine Catering (oh yum!)
  • Support the Daily Bread Food Bank (check off a good deed for the holiday season)
  • Win one of Many Fabulous Prizes (and be a sponsor)
  • Expand your network by finding new industry contacts and rekindling existing ones (networking at its finest)
  • Kick off the Holiday Festivities with FUN! FUN! FUN! (you waited for this all year!)

And don’t forget … $20 will get you 7 lucky ballots for the Reindeer Draw with Fabulous Prizes to be WON!

So, what are you waiting for?  Register Today for our final event of the year!  The CAEM Holiday Lunch:  December 5th, 2017 at the Beanfield Centre! 

See you soon!

Your Holiday Lunch Committee

President’s Message November 2017

As we enter the final weeks of 2017 I have been reflecting on all that has happened at CAEM this past year and the overwhelming feeling I have is one of gratitude.  When I stood before you at our AGM in 2016, our financial picture was bleak. Now as we approach the end of our 2017 fiscal, we are projecting to realize a small surplus.  There is no one person responsible for this change, it is truly a group effort. So I want to take this opportunity to thank you, our members and sponsors, for your wholehearted support of our events and initiatives this past year.  None of what we do at CAEM is possible without your support.

CAEM is a volunteer led and run Association.  Every event we organize and each initiative we undertake is led, coordinated and executed by our passionate, creative and dedicated volunteers.  Over the course of 2017 our volunteers have gone above and beyond in what have been challenging times and I thank each one of you for your contribution.  Leading our volunteers is our Board of Directors.  I am honoured to serve along side this driven group of industry professionals who have made fiscal responsibility a top priority but at no time have they lost sight of our number one priority – delivering value to our members.

As 2018 approaches we are looking forward to change.  As you are aware, our present contract with our association management firm – Association & Events Management (A & E) will come to an end on December 31.   I want to take this opportunity to once again thank Serge, Michael, Christiane and Danielle for their many years of excellent service and wish them continued success.  Our search for a new management firm is progressing according to schedule and our goal of having a new company in place by January 1, 2018 remains on track.

Finally, I want thank the members who have taken the time to call, email or speak to me directly with their concerns, questions and in many cases their encouragement.  Your opinion matters and I urge you to continue to reach out to me or any Board Member with your questions and feedback.  This is your association and we are here to serve you.

I look forward to seeing many of you at the CAEM Holiday Luncheon on December 5th at Beanfield Centre.

Wishing you a wonderful Holiday Season and a fantastic New Year

 

Jennifer Allaby

CAEM President

2018 CAEM Annual Conference – June 24-26, 2018 @ Blue Mountain

Be a part of the tradition that brings the Canadian exposition industry together, to learn, to laugh and to connect!

Prepare to be taken to new heights, with new ideas and new opportunities!  It’s a tradition that inspires us!

TOP 10 REASONS TO ATTEND CAEM 2018 IN BLUE MOUNTAIN:

  1. Network & Connect: Canada’s largest gathering of industry professionals; with a networking itinerary to give you opportunities to make new connections and foster long term relationships!
  2. Learn: With industry specific, current and trending topics, professional development is at the heart of the CAEM Annual Conference!
  3. Get Inspired: With captivating keynote speakers and memorable experiences; you’ll walk away feeling energized and motivated to make improvements to your professional and personal life!
  4. Share Ideas: Share your personal success stories and unique challenges with a collaborative group of industry professionals. Find some real solutions and ideas while speaking with the best-of-the-best in the exposition industry!
  5. ExpoCAN: Canada’s most unique trade-show experience for exposition industry professionals! Meet suppliers from across the country who make the exposition industry what it is today, and help you take your events to the next level!
  6. Escape: Get out of the city and head to the beautiful shores of Georgian Bay. Blue Mountain’s natural beauty is the perfect setting for the 2018 CAEM Annual Conference!
  7. Pay it Forward: Share your experience and insights with your colleagues upon your return. Whether it’s new ideas, new suppliers to work with, or even a new approach or attitude, become the one to influence and inspire your own team after the Conference is over!
  8. Unbeatable Value: With a full-conference registration, you get access to over 2 days of five-star education, invaluable networking opportunities as well as 3 unforgettable evening events all for an extremely affordable rate, whether a member or potential member!
  9. New Ideas: See the latest and greatest in the exposition industry on display at the CAEM Annual Conference and ExpoCAN!
  10. Join our Tradition: Whether it’s your first time attending or you’re a conference veteran, join the community of industry professionals who make the CAEM Annual Conference an annual Tradition!

Join us June 24-26, 2018 in Blue Mountain, a natural showcase with a spectacular itinerary, be a part of our tradition at the CAEM Annual Conference!

Register Now!

CAEM has a new website!

Over the past year, our website and communications team have been hard at work, tasked to provide CAEM members with an updated, clean, simple to navigate and mobile friendly website.  With the help of the CAEM office, our web developer CMS and our amazing team of website volunteers, we were proud to launch the new CAEM website on September 26th this year.

We hope you have been enjoying the new look and features of the new site.  If you were familiar with the old web site or are a brand new member to CAEM, here are a few new features of the website you may find very helpful.

Online Membership Renewal

You should have received an email last week with your annual membership renewal details.  A major improvement of the new website is the ability to renew your membership online. Prior to launching the new site, renewing your membership was not always convenient.  The process was outdated as it required contacting the CAEM office, sending in company info/payment details and receiving manual confirmations.  Now, CAEM members can simply visit www.caem.ca, login using their member name and password, select the “Join Now” option under the membership tab and follow the suggested actions.  You can also edit your profile, privacy settings, email subscriptions and add photos.  All invoice and payment history is also maintained within your profile for added convenience.

Online Directory

Another new feature that we are pleased to introduce is the new robust Online Directory.  Searching for members by name or company is now easier than ever and members even have the option to advertise their company logo, for a nominal fee, within their directory listing profile.  To enhance your directory listing with a company logo, please contact Mike Russell at mrussell@torontocongresscentre.com for more info. To access the online directory, please click on the following link: CAEM Membership Directory.

Expo Ready Newsletters – Archives

Our online newsletter “Expo Ready” has been designed to drive maximum traffic back to the CAEM website.  All articles from the Expo Ready Newsletter will be archived in the News Blog section of the website, for future reference and reading.  Not only does this make it easier for you to access news and information, it also allows us to better track hot topics in order to tailor future news articles to serve you better.

As we move into 2018, you can expect to receive the Expo Ready Newsletter quarterly, to coincide with CAEM’s Signature Events.

Our team is always looking to update and improve the membership experience with our website.   If you have ideas and/or suggestions to share, please reach out anytime!

Your Website and Communications Committee

It’s Never Been Easier to Keep in Touch

With over 350 CAEM members across Canada, keeping in touch with colleagues, friends and top industry news can be tricky. With our newly enhanced CAEM website, information is readily available online for upcoming events, CEM courses and a full membership directory.

Even easier, link to our social media pages and get the latest information sent straight to you when you check your accounts.

Join us on LinkedIn by searching for Canadian Association of Exposition Managers and clicking ‘Ask to Join'.

Don't have an account yet? LinkedIn is the largest professional social network online. You can use it to find a job, network with peers, get sales leads, connect with industry peers and find out what others are working on. It's real-time and full of great information to move your career forward.

Here are the steps to join: How To Use LinkedIn

 

If you are already connected on Facebook, go to the CAEM page and click ‘Follow'.

Unsure if you want to join Facebook? More than 1 billion people are active on Facebook sharing events, causes, recipes, current events and some supercute kitten videos to help you through the week.

If you haven't yet joined Facebook, here is a link to help walk you through the steps: How To Use Facebook

 

Join CAEM on Twitter with the handle @caemevents

Thinking about joining Twitter? To keep up to date on the latest news and events, Twitter's real time social networking provides second-to-second updates on what is happening in your community, country and the world at large.

Here is a link to help you sign up: How To Use Twitter

President’s Message – September 2017

Dear CAEM Member:

With September well underway it is hard to believe that there are only three months left in 2017.  As I reported to you in June at our Annual General Meeting, 2017 has been a productive year for CAEM and that certainly continues to be the case.

I would argue that one of the most exciting developments this year has been the complete revamp of our website.   In the coming days you will receive an email announcing the official launch of the site as well as the announcement of our impressive new stable of digital advertising options.  Many thanks are due to Bianca Kennedy, Tony Gallagher and Catherine MacNutt, the chairs of the Marketing & Communications Committee, for their leadership on this project.  In addition, the CAEM staff has played a significant role logistically with the new website and are owed our thanks for their commitment.

Our attention now turns to our final events for 2017.  On November 1 and 2 we have two CEM courses happening at Beanfield Centre at Exhibition Place.  These courses are historically sold out, so if you are planning to attend, I encourage you to register soon.  Beanfield Centre will also be the host venue for our highly anticipated Holiday Luncheon on December 5, so if you have not already done so, please mark your calendars for that important date.

At our AGM in June, I reported that we were projecting to be in a break even position for fiscal 2017.  I am happy to advise you that is still the case.  With the help of the Finance Committee we have been analyzing expenses very closely and making adjustments as required.   This is not an easy process and difficult decisions sometimes must be made.  The Board is committed to the financial sustainability of CAEM and as a result we are constantly analyzing every line item of our operating budget.  The single largest line item in our budget is the fee we pay to our Association Management Company – Association & Events Management (A & E). With the contract for A & E expiring in early 2018 and given our quest for financial sustainability, the Board has made the difficult decision to send the management contract out to RFP to ensure the management fees fall within CAEM's current budgetary reality. To be completely transparent we advised A & E of our plan, making it clear this was a decision based on financial sustainability and we encouraged A & E to respond to our RFP.  After careful consideration, A & E has let us know they will not be responding to the RFP and they have exercised the early termination clause in their contract effective October 31, 2017.  However, on the advice of CAEM's auditor – Palmer Reed, the Board asked A & E to stay on until CAEM's year end (December 31, 2017) to allow for a smoother transition.  A & E has agreed to do so. We thank Serge and his team at A & E for their dedicated years of service and wish them every success in the future.  Operations at the CAEM office will remain “business as usual” until the end of December.  The CAEM Board has developed an RFP for a new Association Management Company that will be distributed immediately with the goal of having a new management firm in place effective January 1, 2018.

We have made great progress in the past year and we will continue to do so as we move toward the end of 2017 and towards what I am sure will be very positive change in 2018.  As always, if you have questions or feedback, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.

Best regards,

Jennifer Allaby
CAEM President